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Offenders get view from behind the camera

Northumbria Safety Camera Partnership is giving those caught on camera the opportunity to view their offences online.

The partnership is developing its website to allow offenders to see the pictures the cameras have taken, and the information that would be used as evidence in court.

The partnership's project manager, Ray King, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to work with people and make them more aware of speed limits.

"If we want people to have confidence in what we do then we need to be open about our work, how speed cameras work and how they are helping to save lives."

For the full story go to: http://www.safespeedforlife.com

European prize for road safety unveiled

The Norauto Foundation is inviting entries for the 2006 European Prize for Road Safety, which recognises the best road safety initiatives.

The competition is open to non-profit and non-commercial organisations, excluding the public sector. There is a cash prize and the closing date for entries is 3 April 2006.

For further information, or to enter, go to: www.nortauto.fr, or contact Corinne PEREA, cperea@norauto.fr

Walk to School coordinator moves on

Jo Pike, who has been national Walk to School coordinator since September 2003, has left Living Streets to take up a new post.

In the time Jo has been in office, the number of children participating in Walk to School Weeks is estimated to have increased from around one million to 1.8 million.

She also spearheaded a new campaign to promote walking to school all year round, WOW (Walk on Wednesdays of Walk once a Week), which was launched in September 2004.

28 local authorities are promoting WoW and an estimated 79,000 pupils are participating in the scheme. Living Streets says there is an average 30% increase in the number of children walking in participating schools.

"I have hugely enjoyed being Walk to School coordinator and the main reason for that is because of the people I have met during my time here," Jo says.

"The results we have achieved during the last three years are down to everyone who has worked so hard to develop the campaign across the country. It is a credit to everyone involved that we have seen an increase of 800.000 pupils involved in the campaign over the period."

Jo takes up the post of Good Going Campaign Director on 6 March.

Donna McLoughlin will be acting Walk to School Week coordinator until someone is permanently recruited to the role. Donna, who is new to Walk to School, comes from the event organisation industry. She can be contacted on 020 7820 1010, or donna.mcloughlin@livingstreets.org.uk

Taken for a ride

Learner drivers should be aware of bogus driving instructors who could be taking them for a ride, according to the Driving Instructors' Association (DIA).

The DIA says a surprising number of unqualified driving instructors are masquerading as bona fide professionals, offering sub-standard lessons at budget prices.

It recommends four golden rules when searching for a suitable driving instructor: check the instructor's credentials; confirm whether the instructor is an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) or PDI (Provisional Driving Instructor); choose the instructor rather than the driving school; and check that the instructor is fully insured.

For further information contact Vikki Carley on 020 8665 8024, or newsdesk@driving.org.

UKMA calls for metric road sign switch

Britain should set an early date for converting its road signs from miles to kilometres, according to the UK Metric Association (UKMA).

The imperial signs are a 'confusing' exception as most of the UK operates in metric measures, UKMA says. It also argues that conversion would make it easier to calculate fuel consumption and enable more finely tuned speed limits.

However, the government insists the switch would be a 'waste of taxpayers' money'.

The UKMA says conversion of road signs was originally intended as part of metrification when it started in 1965 and should have been completed by 1973. But it was put on hold in 1970 and never restarted.

Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock, who is backing the report, says: "Our imperial road signs are perhaps the most obvious example of the muddle of measurement units in the United Kingdom.

But the AA Motoring Trust said a 'key flaw' in any planned conversion lay in the fact that car speedometers still mainly measure miles per hour.

The trust's Paul Watters said: "A move to make UK road signs metric will take far longer than five years.

"Any precipitous changeover will create confusion, danger and anger, particularly where misunderstanding leads to prosecution for road traffic offences, such as speeding."

The trust said a solution could be to have signs showing both measurements during a transition period.

A spokeswoman for the DfT said it had 'absolutely no plans' to change the signs - a move that would 'cost several million pounds'.

For the full story go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4741894.stm

Royal support for IRSO 2006

IRSO president, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, is to attend the IRSO 2006 conference, which will be held 5-7 July at Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey.

The conference will set out to identify the most effective way to deliver road safety education in the future.

Delegates will debate, and learn from, the varied approaches deployed across the UK, and the conference will set out to make an informed decision on how road safety education can be delivered more effectively.

Confirmed contributors include representatives from Scottish Executive, Road Safety Scotland, TfL and PACTS.

A booking form and additional information can be downloaded from the IRSO website, www.irso.org.uk , or obtained from Lynne Turner on 01708 432807, or lynne.turner@havering.gov.uk

Norfolk's cameras to stay yellow

Speed cameras across Norfolk will stay yellow, despite the government scrapping its policy to make the devices visible.

The Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership believes having the cameras bright and clearly visible helps cut down on crashes by making drivers aware of their speed.

Bryan Edwards, from the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, said: "From day one we have been open and transparent about where our cameras are and this will not change."

Lighting the way

American-style overhead traffic lights are to be put up at key routes into Liverpool city centre, in an attempt to cut the number of deaths at pedestrian crossings (Surveyor, 23/02/2006).

The six 9m overhead gantries to be installed at a junction where four pedestrians have been killed by motorists 'might cause a slight inconvenience to motorists, but there will be life-saving benefits,' said Cllr Marilyn Fielding.

Beavers and cubs celebrate success

40 members of the 1st Launceston Beaver and Cub Scouts pack have achieved their road safety badges after completing road safety activity books provided free by Cornwall's road safety unit.

Steve Pike , assistant cub scout leader, said: "The road safety unit provided invaluable support and help - the booklets and brochures were an essential tool in the promotion of road safety. The children who took part thoroughly enjoyed it, and hopefully are all much better equipped to avoid danger on our roads."

The Beavers and Cubs were presented with their certificates and badges by road safety assistant, Joyce Runnalls.

For further information contact Joyce Runnalls on 01872 327888.

Theatre comes to Bucks

Two established road safety plays, Pills, Thrills and Automobiles and Legal Weapon , are touring 20 Buckinghamshire secondary schools for two weeks, commencing 13 March. The 55-minute shows highlight the issues of speed and drugs to young people thinking about driving.

Val Letheren, portfolio holder for transportation, said: "Both these plays are targeting Year 11 and 12 students, who are likely to be thinking about learning to drive. They are an effective way of getting very powerful messages across to this vulnerable group."